Detachable crotch



March 12,1946. R. B. O'BRIEN DETACHABLE CROTGHY Filed May 8. 1944 2Sheets-Sheet l March 12, 1946. R. B. O'BRIEN DETACHABLE CROTCH Filed May8. 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [2.5.0 rz'en Patented Mar. 12, 1946 UNITEDSTATES PATENT OFFICE DETACHABLE cno'rcn Robert B. OBrien, Atlanta, Ga.

Application May 8, 1944, Serial No. 534,588

2 Claims.

This invention relates to undergarments and more particularly to aremovable crotch element in an undergarment.

An object of this invention is to provide in an undergarment, such as apantie or the like, an improved crotch piece which is detachably coupledto the garment and which eliminates all metal.

Another object of this invention is to provide an improved means fordetachably coupling a crotch piece to the body and legs of the garmentwhich includes interengaging tunnel forming loops carried by the bodyand legs of the garment, and also by the outer edges of the crotchpiece, and also includes straps or cords threaded through aligned loops,the straps having looped opposite ends which are adapted to engagebuttons on the body and legs so as to thereby firmly hold the crotchpiece in proper position.

To the foregoing objects, and others which may hereinafter more fullyappear, the invention consists of the novel construction, combinationand arrangement of parts, as will be more specifically referred to andillustrated in the accompanying drawings, but it is to be understoodthat changes, variations, and modifications may be resorted to whichfall within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a detail front elevation of an undergarment constructedaccording to an embodiment of this invention.

Figure 2 is the fragmentary bottom plan of the garment.

Figure 3 is a sectional view 3-3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a side elevation partly in prospective of one of the lockingstraps or cords.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary exploded view of the garment.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on the line 53 of Figure2.

Referring to the drawings, the numeral l designates an undergarmentwhich may be either a pantie or girdle, and includes a body portion Hand a pair of leg portions l2. The leg portions i2 include inner fabricmembers |3 and M which are stitched as at and I6, respectively, to theinner sides of the leg members or portions l2. The upper inner edges ofthe leg taken on the line pieces l3 and M are cut on a convex curve as.

indicated at H and I8, respectively, and the front and rear portions ofthe body II are cut on a concave curve as indicated at 9 and 20respectively.

A crotch piece designated as'2| is detachably secured to the body ||,andthe leg members l2 and comprises an elongated fabric member which isformed with concave opposite side or longitudinal edges 22 and 23confronting the convex edges I! and I8 of the inner leg members l3 andM, respectively. The front and rear ends of the crotch piece 2| areformed on a convex curvature as indicated at 24 and 25 respectively, theconvex edge portions 24 and 25 confronting the concave edge portions I9and 2|! of the front and rear portions of the garment.

The leg member l3 on the convex upper edge thereof has secured thereto aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart loops or tunnel forming members26. These loops or tunnel forming members 26 are disposed on a convexcurvature and are adapted to be positioned between the edges l1 and 22of the leg member l3 and the crotch piece 2|, respectively. The concaveedge 22 of the crotch piece 2| has secured thereto a plurality oflongitudinally spaced apart loops or tunnel forming members 21. Theloops or tunnel forming members 21 are adapted to engage between theloops or tunnel forming members 26, so as to thereby form a closedtunnel which comprises the interengaging loops 26 and 21. A locking orsecuring strap or cord 28 is threaded through the interengaging loops 26and 21 and is formed at the opposite ends thereof with eyes 29 and 30.The eye 29 engages over a button 3| and the eye 30 engages over a button32.

The leg member M on the upper convex edge l8 thereof has secured theretoa plurality of longitudinally spaced apart tunnel forming loops 33. Theconfronting concave edge 23 of the crotch piece has secured thereto aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart tunnel. forming loops at 34which engage between pairs of loops 33, so as to thereby form a closedtunnel extending throughout the concave edge 23 and the convex edge IS.A locking cord or strap 35 is threaded through the aligned loops 33 and34 and is formed at the opposite ends thereof with eyes 36 and 31 whichengage over buttons 38 and 39, respectively, secured to the body ll ofthe garment.

The front concave edge I!) of the body II has secured thereto aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart tunnel forming loops 40 whichextend throughout the concave edge I 9 and the convex front edge 24 ofthe crotch piece 2| has secured thereto a plurality of longitudinallyspaced apart tunnel forming loops 4|. The loops 4| engage between pairsof loops 40 so as to thereby form a continuous tunnel, and an elongatedstrap or cord 42 is threaded through the interengaging loops 40 and 4|and is formed at the opposite ends with eyes 43 and 44. The eye 43engages over a button 45 carried by the leg member 13, and the eye 44engages over a button 46 carried by the leg member I4.

The rear of the garment has secured to the concave edge 20 thereof aplurality of longitudinally spaced apart tunnel forming loops 4'! andthe rear edge 25 of th crotch piece 2| has secured thereto a pluralityof longitudinally spaced apart tunnel forming loops 48. The loop 41engage between pairs of loops 48 so as to thereby form a continuoustunnel, and a locking strap or cord 49 is threaded through theinterengaging loops 41 and 48 and is formed at the opposite ends thereofwith eyes 50 and The eye 50 engages over a button 52 secured to theupper portion of the inner leg member I3 and the eye 5! over a button 53secured to the upper rear portion of the leg member I4.

The garment l0 may be constructed either as a pantie or girdle, and thecrotch portion thereof is formed with the spaced loops extending aboutthe opposite side edges and the front and rear edges. The crotch piece2| is inserted by positioning the adjacent loops into interengagingpoition and, as an example, the loops 4| may be initially disposedbetween the loops 4!] and the securing member 42 threaded through theadjacent loops. When the securing member 42 is threaded through all ofthe loops 40 and 4!, the opposite ends thereof are engaged with thebuttons 45 and 46. The remaining edges of the crotch piece aredetachably coupled to the garment in the same manner. Th provision ofthe removable crotch piece will make it possible to form the crotchpiece out of non-elastic. fabric and the body of the garment may be madeout of elastic or inelastic fabric and by having the crotch pieceremovable, it may be detached and cleaned without cleaning the balanceof the garment.

What is claimed is:

1. A garment comprising; a body portion; leg portions projectingdownwardly from said body portion and relatively spaced apart; and adetachable crotch piece extending between said leg portions from frontto back, said crotch piece comprising, a non-elastic piece having convexupper ends arranged substantially horizontally of the pody portion andadapted for disposition in complementary concave ends on the front andback of the body portion; aid piece also having concave ends along itsopposite sides arranged angularly with respect to the convex ends andextending downwardly between adjacent leg portions, said concave endsbeing adapted for disposition in complementary convex ends on the front,leg portions, and back of the body portion; spaced apart tunnel formingloops carried by the concave and convex ends on the body portion and legportions; spaced apart tunnel forming loops carried by the convex andconcave ends on the crotch piece engaging between adjacent loops on thecomplementary ends; flexible string-like members each threaded throughthe adjacent engaging loops on complementary ends to hold the crotchpiece in assembled position; and means on the body portion engageablewith the ends of the string-like members to secure the latter againstendwise movement.

2. A garment comprising; a body portion; leg portions projectingdownwardly from said body portion and relatively spaced apart; and adetachable crotch piece extending between said leg portions from frontto back, said crotch piece comprising, a non-elastic piece having convexupper ends arranged substantially horizontally of the body portion andadapted for disposition in complementary concave ends on the front andback of the body portion; said piece also having concave ends along itsopposite sides arranged angularly with respect to the convex ends andextending downwardly between adjacent leg portions, said concave endsbeing adapted for disposition in complementary convex ends on the front,leg portions, and back of the body portion;

spaced apart tunnel forming loops carried by the concave and convex endson the body portion and leg portions; spaced apart tunnel forming loopscarried bythe convex and concave ends on the crotch piece engagingbetween adjacent loops on the complementary ends; flexible string-likemembers each threaded through the adjacent engaging loops oncomplementary ends to hold the crotch piece in assembled position; meanson the body portion engageable with the ends of the string-like membersto secure the latter against ndwise movement and provided with eyes, andbuttons on the front and back of the body portion engageable with theeyes.

. ROBERT B. OBRIEN.

